


beneath the setting sun

by aes6pc



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, F/M, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Love Confessions, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Some Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:00:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25442785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aes6pc/pseuds/aes6pc
Summary: loss is apart of coming to terms with love
Relationships: Levi & Erwin Smith, Levi/Erwin Smith, Moblit Berner & Hange Zoë
Comments: 1
Kudos: 32





	beneath the setting sun

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Leviswhore](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leviswhore/gifts).



> woooo please ignore every and all spelling and grammar mistakes, it is near 6 am and i'm tired haha, anyways, I hope you enjoy this Niki, because I sure didn't :)

Act I; Proposal 

The night before the end was spent graciously.

It’s as if they knew it was the end.

Clinging to each other with every last bit of strength they could muster; they were each other's life lines in this moment of internity, nothing existed but two lovers holding on. 

Despite the fact the two had abandoned the concept of a God ever existing after witnessing true and utter despair, they prayed, prayed the other would never let go, never be sucked into the infinitum of death, prayed the other wouldn’t have to wallow in the pain left behind by a lover robbed of his humanity way too soon. If there was any moment God should be listening, It was now. And they finally prayed for the walls.

Hoping that the devil didn’t raise his filthy hands to shake the Earth, hoping the titans would fall to their feet, signifying the end of a terribly macabre era. 

It was hope that pulled the two lovers close together.

Metaphorically and physically they held on to one another; with hope in their hearts and legs intertwined beneath thin sheets. Moonlight spilling through the gaps in the venetian blinds, coloring the room a magnificent white.

Oh how beautiful the raven haired man looked, bathed in pure, blinding light. His gray eyes are more enticing as ever.

“You’re staring,” the man murmured, suddenly breaking the blonde from his trance.

“Ah, I’m sorry, it seems you’ve hypnotized me, Levi,” the other man jokes, throwing a snarky but sincere smile in the direction of his lover.

Levi but rolls his eyes before finding sanctuary nestled against the coarse blonde hair adorning Erwin’s chest. 

Erwin reached forward to caress the midnight hair resting against his bicep, but finds it’s too much of a hassle with only one arm. Frowning, he settles on relaxing his arm for his love to make comfortable against him.

Levi raises his head once again to lay his chin between Erwins pecs, staring into hauntingly blue eyes. 

“When it’s over, we should get a cabin, escape our reputation, maybe raise some children, I’ve always wanted to start a garden,” Levi mutters as he coils blonde chest hair around his ring finger.   
“A garden?” A hardy laugh escapes Erwin’s lips; it was hard to imagine Levi tending to flowers, being ever so careful as to not destroying the life sprouting from the Earth.

In response, Levi pulls the hair around his calloused finger, sending shots of pain through Erwin’s skin.

“What? Do you have a better idea?”

“No no no, I think it’s perfect, I just find it hard to see you be a gardener, that's it.”

“Yeah whatever,” there's a moment of stillness, “what were you thinking? When we win?”

“I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I want to see your face next to me every morning. We can build a house on the edge of a forest. Maybe we can have some animals, cows, chickens, what not,” Erwin brushed a strand of hair from Levi’s damp forehead with tender hands. 

But alas, the thought the both of them were so desperately trying to keep hidden in the backs of their brains pushed its way out, like water escaping a broken dam it came forth. Spilling over the lovers, was the confrontational fears of the day coming forth.

“You’re thinking about it too aren’t you?” Levi prodded, worry seeping into his voice.

“It was inevitable, I’m afraid.”

A beat.

“Erwin I can’t lose this, us. I’ll hate you forever if you leave me, I’ll scream your name so hatefully the meaning of it will be lost.” Levi’s thin brows furrowed in anger and a tight lipped frown painted Levi’s face. Yet, it was more than just anger. Sadness, fear, love.

“It’s still the present, love. I’m here. We have no idea what tomorrow brings, but the least we can do is take these moments and use them to their fullest extent.”

Erwin wished not to show it, but he too, was afraid, so filled with fear and dread of losing his Levi. The man was strong, but he was human.

“Here,” Erwin rose from the bed to his desk, digging around his drawers until he found what he was searching for.

He sat back down upon the sheets and pressed something cold and metallic to Levi’s sweat damp palm. 

“It was a family heirloom, not important at all in anyway, I guess my grand mothers and fathers just needed something to pass down,” Erwin says with a dry laugh, “But,, I found value in the damned thing, I knew ever since the coroner pressed this into my small fingers after my father had passed, I knew I wanted to give it to the one who would make it actually worth something.”

When Levi opened his palm his eyes widened and his heart swelled with such intensity. Sitting along the curves of his palm was a ring; it was simple, not anything dramatic and eye catching. The band was gold, but time muted the color. A thin silver line cut its way around the ring. It was simple, but it was the most important piece of metal Levi had ever held. 

“If we both return to the walls tomorrow, we will wed. It doesn't have to be a whole ordeal, we can just get a priest and-”

“You fucking bastard,” Levi’s voiced choked out, large tears blob at his eyes, threatening to pour down hi porcelain face.

Erwin is nervous for a beat, worried Levi is angered, worried that this was too much, worried that Levi didn't reciprocate the wish he had. 

In a fleeting moment, Levi leans forward and smashes his lips into Erwin’s, closing the distance fear had made between them. 

Yes

Levi whispered into Erwin’s lips 

Yes 

Levi whispers into Erwin’s neck

Yes 

Levi whispered as erwin slid his hands up his nightshirt

Yes

Levi moaned as Erwin gave him his heart and soul.

Yes 

Act II; Will and Testament

Levi Ackerman had never in his life written a fucking will.

Most everyone in the survey corps has written one, addressing their families of what little pay they can take, what of their shit they can come claim.

Levi never wrote a will because he thought he’d never die, but because he felt he had no one to write to, or give money to, he just hoped that if he died, his belongings would be burnt with the rest of the uncalled for. 

Besides, writing about what to be done after your eventual death was sort of morbid, self inflicted dread, it was.

But, one particular night Levi found himself furiously penning a will. 

Levi had found that he couldn’t sleep. It was the usual affair, not getting a healthy amount of sleep, and it was a routine Levi had gotten used to. Usually he would just walk the halls of headquarters, mentally noting every nook and cranny that would have to be cleaned the next day. It would get him tired enough to get somewhat of three hours of sleep. The lack of sleep never bothered him, it was just something he’d have to deal with.

However, this night Levi found himself traipsing to the roof.

Surprisingly, Levi barely ever finds himself on the roof on his nightly walks.

It’s not like he doesn’t enjoy watching the stars blink and sputter, he just never once thought of it. Nothing drew him away, he just hadn’t had that idea before.

The air was laced with early winter chill, flushing away all tracks of the fall. The occasional breeze made levis arms swarm with goose bumps and sent his teeth into a chattering fit. God, did he hate the cold.

“Levi?” 

The voice was familiar, deep and strong. Though disembodied, levi had to admit that it was very attractive sounding. 

A large, calloused hand finding its place on Levi’s shoulder gave him all the explanation he needed. He suddenly felt embarrassed of the thoughts he had regarding the sex appeal of the mans voice.

“Commander,” Levi sighed.

“You should be resting,have you forgotten that we are to report to the capitol tomorro-”  
“Shouldn’t you be sleeping? You hypocritical, oaf,” Levi interrupted starkly.

Erwin chuckled. He always found Levi’s childish insults to be somewhat endearing. It was enlightening to have that small bit of light in his macabre life.

“I wanted to see the stars,” Erwin whispered, glancing to the vast expanse above them.

“Really? Tch. Find a better excuse.”

“I’m completely serious,” Erwin extended his finger upward at a patch of stars, “see the patch of stars over there, the ones in sort of a zigzag pattern?”

“They all are in a fucking zigzag pattern, what am I supposed to be seeing?”

“Well, this specific one is called Cassiopeia. Named after this one queen who was honestly down right terrible,” Erwin scoffed with a laugh.

“What made her so terrible?” Levi prodded.

“She was vain. She believed her and her daughter were the most beautiful things on Earth. Which angered Poseidon, so he sent a sea monster to devastate Cassiopeia's kingdom. Of course she didn’t want that to happen so she consulted an oracle and asked if there was any way to avoid this. Unfortunately, the only way was to chain her daughter to a rock so the sea monster could eat her!” The blonde chattered on.

“Did they do it?”

“Yes actually. But this hero named Perseus showed up before the monster was to eat her and he killed it and married the girl on the spot.But this also made Poseidon mad! He was mad that Cassiopeia had gotten away from his punishment, so he decided he’d chain her to a throne in the Heavens.”

Levi felt knots tightening around his heart; something about watching Erwin   
Indulge in a topic he clearly enjoyed made Levi feel so wonder struck. He had a childish glint in his eyes as he pointed out Hydrus, Cetus, Andromeda, and Sculptor, much like a child in a candy store. 

Eventually, Levi found his attention drifting away from the stories Erwin so passionately told and instead to Erwin himself. 

The why when Erwin smiled deep dimples dotted his cheeks, and the free freckles layed out upon his nose. Erwin was perfect, Levi had realized. Not just his physical features, but his personality. Erwin was kind hearted, and he was one of the most gentle people Levi had ever had the pleasure of meeting. He was the striking image of what a man should be.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out Levi Ackerman was in love with his commander.

It was unlike him; immediately after him and Erwin dispersed from the roof top, he ran to his quarters, ran like there was no tomorrow. And when he arrived at the desk parked against his wall, he started writing like a mad man.

Dear Erwin,

Act III; Lacuna

They spent the morning in each other's arms, no idea if it would be the last time they ever did.

They whispered sweet nothings in each other's ears every second they sought the opportunity.

They wished not to admit it but twin dread was already finding its place in the two men's stomachs.

They quickly dressed without thinking once to eat breakfast, they felt too sick anyways.

“I dreamed of us last night,” Levi spoke through the palpable silence.

“Oh yea?” Erwin said from the sink.

“We danced in a field full of stars. You had your arm back and we looked like the sappiest fuckers alive. All those stupid stars you told me about ages ago were there.”

“Really? I didn’t think you’d remember that,” the tall man chuckled.

“Of course I remember. I did fall in love with you that night, after all. How could I not forget?” Levi twisted the wedding band around his finger, still in utter shock that he was no longer a bachelor. Finally Hange would get off her high horse about marrying before Erwin or Levi.

“I didn’t know that part.”

“Of course you did, I told you already,” Levi sighed.

Erwin replies with a shrug.

“How come you never became an astronomer? It’s evident that the stars mean a great deal to you,” Levi asks after a brief moment of stillness.

“I wanted to be a teacher,” he pauses and lets his eyes drift downwards, “I wanted to be like my father. But, push came to shove and I gave up on those dreams.”

Levi’s brows furrowed.

“You should’ve gone with that original plan.”

Erwin turns from his business at the sink to face Levi, his small face contorted into a mix between an angry and hurt expression. His fists were so pulled taut at his sides, they seemed to quake uncontrollably. 

“If I had, I don’t think I would have ever found you, my love.”

“I don’t care, you would’ve been safe, out of reach from the titans, the government.  
Anything is better than the path you’ve chosen,” Levi’s nonsensical garble filled the space between them, and it made Erwin’s heart split.

The blonde quickly stepped forward and caught his love’s face in his hand. His sapphire eyes meeting cold, grey ones. 

“Levi Ackerman, I have a myriad of regrets. Regrets that will follow me all the way to Hell. Regrets that will fester within me until I atone for them. I will forever be regretful as long as I’m perceived as a monster, a murderer. But I am never regretful of us, what we’ve created together, the things we could make if we had enough time. You destroy me, Levi. I regret what I put you through. It kills me everyday knowing that I have significantly, indirectly damaged you in any way. You are simultaneously my biggest and most cherished regret. I will never regret joining the corps, if it means I wouldn’t of had you if i had followed my original dream,” 

Levi was speechless, all he could manage to do was gape at his lover, eyes wider than dinner plates, mouth parted slightly in shock.

Erwin pressed a soft kiss to the crown of Levi’s head before pulling away to ready his gear.

“We must saddle the horses, we leave soon,” Erwin’s sad voice cut through the manmade silence.

Act IV; Setsunai

The end, as they had worried, had come the next day.  
The mission was a simple one, nothing large scale just yet; all it was was a clean up of extra titans in the walls before the scouts could clear Shiganshina and hopefully end the war on humanity.

The scout regiment soon found themselves in murky waters,

A group of gangly titans emerged from the tree line, swinging their lanky limbs as they ran towards the formations. Abnormals nonetheless.

The soldiers turned their glances to Erwin, awaiting his call, mentally preparing themselves for possibly opening death's door.

“Special Ops Squad! Engage the abnormals emerging from the break of the forest! Hange squad, be prepared to back them up in case things get sticky. The rest of you, take the titans in the vicinity already, we can’t forget about those ones,” the commander yelled, “hold off on using your thunder spears, we may need them if a more imminent threat comes along.”

Erwin met Levi with a gaze.

He looked so incredibly beautiful with his raven hair blundering in the steady wind. He wished he could run his fingers through it, press kisses against his brow, feel the tickle of his eyelashes against his jaw, but it was far too unprofessional to wish that this time. All he could do was hope after this exhibition, they would be in each other's arms again.

Levi responded to Erwin’s loving stare by bringing his left hand up, wiggling his fourth finger, the setting sun behind him catching in the gold of the ring, creating a glare. He brought his ring hand to his heart before nodding to Erwin.

Something about this gesture brought an intense feeling of dread to Erwin’s heart. Something didn’t feel right, like the Earth was off kilter. He suddenly had a tremendously terrible feeling about what was to happen. 

No

Erwin thought,

I can’t let him go.

But before Erwin could reach out to his fiance, he was already off, sending hooks into the trees, flying through the forest like he was born to fly. Erwin all but gave a worried sigh, he just would have to hope for his safety. 

Hange laid a hand to Erwins shoulder, reassuring nonetheless. 

“I’m wor-”

“I know,” Hange stopped him.

“He’ll be ok, Erwin.”

Act V; Cognac

Erwin had no idea how he had ended up being Hange’s drinking companion.

Hange had somehow roped Erwin into visiting the bar with her.

“Moblit is too tired, otherwise I would’ve taken him,” Hange had explained as she leaned against the door frame in Erwin’s office, “But I need someone to come with me, otherwise I’ll look sad, drinking on my own.”

“Have you tried asking Levi?” Erwin asked from behind a stack of papers. He was busy and not in the mood to drink, but he felt rude straight up declining the invite.

“Levi has sworn to never drink with me again, so I think you know the answer to that one.”

“Right,,” Erwin remembered. It was a catastrophe, Levi and Hange had gotten so shit faced they decided to play a game of hide and seek around the headquarters, ending up with Levi being found, drunker than a sheep, giggling beneath Keith Shadis’ bed. Erwin had heard Shadis’ angry roar persist for nearly 2 hours from halfway across the building. Needless to say, Levi had a good reason to never drink with Zoe again.

“C’mon Erwin. All you do anymore is sit on your ass and sort papers, when was the last time you’ve gotten proper drunk?”

“I don’t keep track of those types of things. I’m not too keen on alcohol, actually.”

“You need to lighten up a bit, honestly. I’ll pay!” 

Erwin, eventually sick of the pleading from the brunette in the doorway, he caved. Following an overjoyed Hange to the bar a short walk away from the hq building.

He settled on cognac. He wasn’t in the mood to get drunk.

However the contradictions rolled in when Erwin polished off a fourth glass of the stuff, slamming the empty glass on the table, waving the barmaid down for another glass.

“Atta boy!” Hange practically screamed, “getting drunk with good ‘ole Hange, huh?”

“I’m a little buzzed, I admit, but I’m enjoying myself nonetheless.”

“Aw see! I told you! And to think you didn’t want to come with, how shameful.”

“Anything is better than being stuck in my office long into the night filing papers, finalizing wills…”

“No work talk, Smith! We’re having fun aren’t we?”

“I guess we are,” Erwin jokes.

They drank late into the night, until they were the last patrons in the tavern. Both piss poor drunk, reminiscing about figments from their past, sharing stories of comrades no longer standing that can be laughed at in memoriam, remembrance. 

“....And that’s how me and Moblit almost got devoured out of my morbid curiosity,” Hange hiccuped as she finished, drowning the giggles with frothy beer.

Erwin let out a hardy laugh that seemed to shake the frame of the world. The contents of his stein spilling onto his lap, soaking his uniform pants.

“Moblit and I have gotten in a little trouble together, I feel it only seems to bring us together.”

“The love you have for each other is admirable.”

“Stop,” Hange blushed into her drink.

“How did you know?”

“Hm?”

“That you loved Moblit. When did it click that you loved him?”

Hange set her glass down, swallowing hard. She sat in silence for a brief moment before just offering up a shrug.

“I just knew, honestly. Nothing really set it off, but I had just realized that he was the one for me. What makes you ask? It was quite a strange segway.”

“I- well I don’t know, I’ve just wondered, that's it.”

Hange quirked her brow. She knew Erwin had reasoning to ask such a question, otherwise he wouldn’t have asked. Perhaps Erwin thinks he’s in love. With who, though? He never seemed very romantically or even sexually interested in any woman as she knew of. The only person he really seemed to care deep enough for it to be romantic was the captain.

Oh-

The realization hit Hange a bit too hard and she had to hold herself back from breaking down into a fit of laughter. It was a funny thought, really. To think the commander is smitten for someone who seems to lack social adeptness. They were quite the opposite of one another.

“Well, don’t think too much about it. I know that’s shit advice, but I’m not in the right place to be giving you anything better,” she waved her hand across the table littered with alcohol glasses, almost knocking over a few in the process, “but, you’ll know when it’s love. No other way to describe it, but the realization of it all is very,, overwhelming. Feelings are a lot.”

“Thank you Hange, I’ll be sure to… Keep that in mind.”

“Anytime, commander.”

As they left the bar, Erwin’s mind drifted to all the things he could’ve told Hange.

Like how he was pretty sure he already knew he was in love with a certain raven haired man.

Act VI; Thunder Spears

Levi swung through the trees, grappling to anything and everything that would fit to his agility. To his left, Mikasa did the same, however keeping her gaze locked protectively on the boy ahead of them, maneuvering about the canopy carelessly while white knuckling his blades.

The respect and protectiveness Mikasa displayed reminded him of Erwin; how he used to-and still does-put himself between Erwin and danger in order to keep him safe. It was a small price to pay for love.

The day dreaming is short lived however, as a 10 meter class swatted at Eren with such a ferocity, it threw the boy into the surrounding trees and collapsing into the brush below. 

“Eren!” Mikasa began her descent to the boy's direction, priorities shifting to the boy lying injured in the bushes.

So we’ve definitely have a tough one here

Levi thought to himself. It didn’t worry him, not whatsoever, it was just the extra work he’d have to put into downing the thing. And, God, was Levi tired. 

Kirstein closed in on the target, blades readied above his head, ready to strike, but to no avail, the mother fucker grabbed hold of the grappling line tethering Jean to the thing’s flesh. Luckly, Jean was able to reel back before the situation escalated, but the realization of a bigger threat sat heavily on their shoulders.

“Captain! Do we request back up?” Arlert yelled from a tree branch, his hand already lingering on the flare gun at his hip.

“Hold off! This one might be a tough one, but I know how we can keep this under control,” Levi shouted back, quickly slipping twin thunder spears into the hollisters around his arms. This thing would need more than just a few slices to the legs to get it to comply.

“Sir!! Commander Erwin said to hold off on the use of-” Sasha’s voice cuts across the branches, low and worried.

“Fuck what he said, I know what I’m doing.”

Levi swiftly maneuvered his way around the abnormal, aiming to strike it from behind. 

Once within nape-shot, Levi waited, grappled to the bark of a tree, waiting for an opening in the branches. It might’ve been a careless decision on his part, but Levi knew it would work. It would knock this thing dead before it could cause any more damage.

An opening.

The captain shot through the trees, aiming the spears at the nape before releasing.

Hypothetically, Once shooting the spear into the target, you were to pull away, turning back before getting caught in the blast.

Hypothetically, your boot wasn't supposed to get tangled in the cord, and pull you along with it.

But alas, mistakes are made and sacrifices are necessary.

It was selfish, but Levi didn’t struggle; he was much too tired to resist the inevitability of what was to come.

In his last seconds, he thought of him,

The strong arms that held him in the night.

The striking blue eyes that bore into his own with such love it made his heart fade just a little.

Hypothetically, the blast of the thunder spears wasn’t supposed to blow both of your legs off, throwing you meters into a battlefield.

Act VII; subsisto gyrationis

If the world were to stop spinning suddenly, the atmosphere, so accustomed to the speed in which the Earth spun, would immediately be set off kilter.

Everything from the topsoil of the ground to the cow grazing in the empty field would be thrown into the still-moving atmosphere.

It would be devastating. 

Everything would inevitably be destroyed. 

Ocean water would flee the sand prison and into the sky. A tsunami in cloud nine.

Earthquakes would tear the world apart as we know it.

A large mass of land would be created from the remains of the Earth, separating the ocean in two.

Erwin’s world ceased rotation as he followed the shell of his lover, his perfection, his Levi, with his eyes as he crashed into thick mud.

Catastrophe ensued on impact and the birds stopped singing.

Act VIII; Cassiopeia

Erwin was at Levi’s side almost immediately.

God, was there so much blood.

“Erwin,” Levi spoke out, it wasn’t a question, but a statement, like he was testing the word out.

“I’m here, love, I’m here.”

Erwin scooped the love of his life into his arm, pulling him to his chest, not giving a fuck if mud now caked his uniform.

Levi’s face took on a vacant look as the realization of the end came to him.

“You have to hold on, Levi,” Erwin frantically whispered, cradling the stump of the man he loved to his chest, “We were going to marry, remember. We need to make it back.”

Fat tears threatened to spill through the dams of Erwin’s eyes, but the want to stay strong for Levi overpowered it by at least a small, miniscule bit.

Levi ignored Erwin’s previous pleadings and instead used the remainder of his strength to point at the sky, darkening with night fall.

“Cassiopeia, is that one, she was the queen who’s arrogance brought her downfall,” He stopped to cough up the blood blocking his airways.

“No Levi, keep going, I want to hear more about the stars,” Erwin asked, gently pressing his lips to Levi’s forehead.

“She angered poseidon with her boastfulness, and he sent a great monster to destroy her kingdom.”

Hange appeared behind them, gasping at the sight of Levi’s injuries; legs completely blown off at the thighs. It was a tremendously gruesome scene. Erwin just turned his head to Hange, giving her a pleading look.

Let me have these last few moments with him.

“Go on, Levi, I want to hear more.”

“She sacrificed her daughter to the monster, because it was the only way to save her kingdom. But before the monster could take the daughter instead, a great hero defeated the monster. And then,” 

Levi’s body relaxed, his eyes draining of life, his rosebud lips parting ever so delicately.

“What next, Levi? What did the hero do? You have to tell me, Darling,” Erwin pleaded frantically.

“Erwin-,” Hange’s shaky voice released.

“Levi, please, you have to finish. I want to know-”

“Erwin he’s gone!”

Hange finally yelled, tears blotting her dirty cheeks.

“He was tired, Erwin, he needed rest.”

“My Levi,” Erwin cried out, finally releasing the tear that had been hiding behind his eyes, “I loved him so much.”

“I know Erwin, we all did, but he's resting now, he can’t be hurt anymore,” Hange spoke into Erwin’s shoulder. 

“Levi-” Erwin sobbed into the damp, raven hair below him.

“I know you loved him, Erwin, but he wouldn’t want you to cry. He would want you to stay strong, for him. If you can’t stay strong for yourself, stay strong for him. It’s what he would’ve wanted.”

Erwin moved his hand gently across Levi’s face, getting one last look into the beautiful grey pools of his eyes before he shut them forever.

Hange helped Erwin bring Levi to the carts before beginning their journey back to the walls.

The atmosphere took on a dreadful tint as the commander carried the corpse of his world.

Act IX; Until death do us part

Levi was buried among the greatest soldiers.

A headstone gloriously engraved with the wings of freedom sat in the well manicured grass, flowers decorating the bleak land.

There was a funeral, but it was nothing grand, Erwin knew Levi wouldn’t of wanted it that way, he never wanted to become a martyr.

Erwin didn't find the impetus to speak at the service, but everyone knew what the man wanted to say just by reading him, by the way he fell to his knees at the man's grave and punched the ground, the way he shouted his lover’s name into the heavens, the way he stayed at the grave until the stars danced until the sun peaked it’s golden head over the horizon.

It was devastating, watching the man crumble, yet he persisted, kept going for the sake of his love.

He never forgot his promise either.

In a technical sense, the two had made it back to the walls.

Erwin had married his love in a church, moonlight spilling in from the outside, whispering his vows into the night.

He could almost see the figure of him, smiling at him. 

His husband at last.

Act X; Love Letters from a Brighter Time.

Erwin led his soldiers to victory in Shiganshina.

Hange had passed in the final battle; he held her until her last breath escaped her lips, asking Erwin to bring her to Moblit. And he obliged.

Moblit held his precious wife in his arms, cursing God for taking such a beautiful soul.

Erwin stayed by Moblit’s side the entire time, offering what little support he could muster.

In the end, Erwin chose to retire early, abandoning what the survey corps planned to do now that the titan menace had been eradicated.

He had to live the life his husband would have wanted him to.

Yet, he found himself wondering into Levi’s room; he had been holding back from visiting because he didn’t think he was ready for the influx of emotions that might come about.

But he lost Hange, and foremost he lost Levi, so he had little more to loose.

Levi’s room was just how he had left it;

Bead neatly made, corners tucked in and pillows fluffed. Everything is in its correct order. It was satisfying to say the least.

At one point, Erwin found a neat letter, sealed with wax. On the back, Erwin was written in Levi’s loopy handwriting.

Dear Erwin, 

It was already the first line and Erwin felt heavy, immediately regretting touching the letter in the first place. But he kept reading, ‘It’s what he wanted,” he muttered to himself.

I never had a will before this, can you believe that? I never had anyone in my life to give things to, or things to give; the whole ordeal seemed useless in its entirety. But it seems my thoughts have changed or else you wouldn’t be reading this.  
To cut right to the chase; I’m pretty sure I fucking love you.   
It was that dumb star shit that got me. You were so fucking happy, it made my teeth rot, but it made me feel things I had never felt in my life. Everyday I am thankful you forced me to join the corps when you found me in the murky streets of the underground. If Mike hadn’t shoved my face in a puddle of God knows what, I wouldn't have stayed by your side. But, please Erwin, know that you probably gave me the best years a man could have been given. I found solace in your presence; I never saw you as a murderer or a monster, but as the kind man you are.   
God you're probably reading this right after i’ve kicked the bucket, so I guess I’ll get the rest of this will shit figured out; You can take all of my crap, I don’t have much anyways, but feel free to take whatever. I know you’ll refuse to take my money, you’re a good man, after all, so I only ask you give the money right back to the sc, we need funding anyways, the sewage systems begs for improvement. Finally, take care of Hange, she’s probably lost right now, and it makes my heart fucking vomit when i think of her bumbling along with no clue on how to go on. It’s all I ask.  
I will be waiting for you, Erwin. I will wait for as long as it takes you to get to me, maybe I’ll be able to confess my love in person in the afterlife, beats me. Take care, Smith.

Love, L. Ackerman

Epilogue

Erwin stood atop the wall, toes dangling from the edge.

He watched the sun bow it’s head into the earth, basking the world in darkness.

I’ll be there soon, Levi, your waiting will be short lived, dear.

Erwin thought, gripping the paper in his hand, the beginning line going as so.

Dear Levi,

~fin


End file.
